Here’s some good news to start 2022 with.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung gave an update of the Covid-19 situation in Singapore today (Jan 3, 2022), saying that current ICU cases are at around 20 cases, as compared to a peak of about 170 cases, and is also the lowest in the last quarter.
The number of active local cases over the past week is 1,200, compared to a peak of over 26,000 and deaths are low.
He added that all these meant that the Covid-19 Delta wave has subsided, at least for now.
Omicron imminent
However, it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over.
Minister Ong cautioned about an imminent Omicron wave, noting that Omicron cases have started to creep up and make up around 17 per cent of local cases currently.
This makes the New Year’s Eve incident, which saw hundreds of revellers crowding at Clarke Quay blatantly breaching safe management measures, all the more concerning.
The Multi-ministry Task Force added the gathering is a potential superspreading event and that enforcement agencies are looking into this matter.
“We would like to remind everyone that we are still in the middle of a pandemic crisis, and we still need to exercise civic responsibility,” said the Task Force.
Civic responsibility
Exercising civic responsibility also means being vaccinated and taking boosters if one is medically fit.
Minister Ong wrote that 87 per cent of the total population has completed their full regimen and 88 per cent has received at least one dose. We also ended 2021 with 41 per cent of our population boosted, out of about 70 per cent that is or will be eligible.
He added that over the past week, more than 20,000 children aged 9 to 11 years have received their first dose of the vaccination. This is equivalent to about half a cohort. Many more are scheduled in the coming few weeks.
Cover photo credit: Ong Ye Kung Facebook page